Abstract: The invention concerns an apparatus for separating sausages from a string of sausages linked by connecting portions and comprises a conveyor system including at least two conveyors connected in series and comprising upper and lower belts, between which the sausage string is held. The apparatus further comprises a sensing device and cutting means controlled by the sensing device. In order to ensure reliable operation of the apparatus at high speeds and when sausages are misshapen, the connecting portion detection is improved by driving the downstream conveyor at a higher speed than the upstream conveyor so effecting a stretching of the sausage string as it is transferred from one to the other and by using two photosensing detectors mutually spaced along the conveyor and adapted to signal the detection of a connecting portion when the downstream detector registers a low light value and the upstream detector registers a high light value.